Tradition
by Mojotheomegawolf
Summary: The serum run was a success, the lives of dozens of children saved, and the life of a certain hybrid was changed forever. But as a new citizen of Nome, there is a certain tradition that he must honor...


**Alright, this is an idea that hit me that I just HAD to write, so don't hate on me too much here. **

**First things first, I have to mention something. The original idea for a tradition seen here is not of my own creation, neither is the way the dogs plat their instruments. Those ideas were created by The Kool Cat, but I have decided to use that idea to write a fic about a few of the greatest songs ever written. **

The night was cold, the temperature hanging down in the negative teens, a light snow falling down with very little wind to carry it. There was seemingly no life at this late hour in the small town of Nome, Alaska; the houses sitting dark and ominously on each side of the empty street. However, out of the silence of the night came the faint sounds of bass lines as they powered out a final ending note before kicking up again. Further on down the main street and to the left, the Old Mill was buzzing with life, the sounds of music and the clanking of drinks being served, and loud, careless voices escaping under the the crack of the door along with a ghostly yellow light.

Inside of the Old Mill there was a party celebrating the success of the serum run and the welcoming of a new citizen, the dog of the hour being overwhelmed with questions from the other canines present that were trying to get the full look into the incredible tale of the mission. Balto was doing his best to answer these questions, though he still felt quite awkward being around so many dogs at one time; especially since two days ago over half of them would have liked to rip him apart and send him fleeing into the woods with his tail tucked between his legs.

There was a live band of local dogs playing for the party, the band consisting of a brindled husky named Ash who played lead guitar and covered lead vocals, a black and white malamute named Schick stood behind him at his left and played rhythm, a red backed husky named Harv stood at Ash's right played the bass. Behind them two gray backed husky sisters named Koko and Ava played the keyboard/piano and drums. Over time the guys had learned to use their claws to pick the strings of their guitars and the sisters imply used their paws to mash the keys and pound on the drums.

The song that they had just performed (The Feel Good Drag, by Anberlin) died away after a long and powerful end chord and the lights went away with the music. There was a loud uproar of applause from the dogs at the party.

A spotlight flicked on and lit up Ash, who stood in front of the microphone.

"How you all doin tonight!" he shouted, the crowd exploding in an energetic uproar of applause.

"Man that's great," Ash continued, grabbing hold of the mike and pacing the stage. "That's great. It sure feels good."

The cheers faded slightly so they could hear ash speak, but the room still buzzed with energy.

"Now I know we've had a pretty stressful couple of weeks here lately with the diphtheria outbreak, Ash mused, the crowd's energy dying down into a remorse silence.

"Now it seemed as though we would never see those dear kids again," Ash continued, pausing for build, "But just when all hope seemed lost, a true hero rose out of the ashes and braved the elements, putting his own life on the line to save those kids from a would be grave."

The dogs all started to turn away from Ash to look at Balto, who was smiling in embarrassment.

"And that hero is here with us tonight!" Ash yelled, the spotlight jumping off of him and now shinning down onto Balto.

"Now let's hear it for the greatest hero he world has ever seen!"

With that the dogs all exploded with cheers, the grateful canines patting Balto on the back or shaking paws with him.

"Now, alright," Ash cut in, the cheers dying slowly away, "If I'm not mistaken, we have ourselves a little tradition here in Nome," Ash continued, the crowd starting to cheer again.

"Balto, in honor of you being Nome's newest citizen, get your ass up here and sing us a song!"

Balto took a step back in embarrassment and shook his head slightly, causing the crowd to start chanting his name. After a few moments of this, Balto smiled.

"Ah, what the hell."

The crowd exploded with cheers as he made his way to the stage, climbing up and appearing right beside Ash at the microphone. Balto whispered the song into Ash's ear and he gave a nod, signaling to the other members. Ash backed away from the microphone, replaced by Balto, and with a nod from the hybrid started picking his guitar in a clean rock riff.

**Simple Man, by Lynyrd Skynard begins.**

The dogs in the audience all exploded with cheers, knowing this song by heart, slightly lowering their cheers as Harv entered on his bass. After a few more seconds Balto took in a long breath, leaning in close to the microphone.

"**Mamma told me," **Balto began to sing, the dogs in the audience whistling and cheering, "**when I was young. Come sit beside me, my only son. And listen closely," **Balto continued to sing, a smile spreading across his lips, "**to what I say. And if you do this it'll help you, some sunny day! Oh ya."**

A rush of claps and cheers erupted from the audience as the band picked up into a heavy riff.

"**Oh take your time," **Balto sang after the riff, "**don't live too fast. Troubles will come, and they will pass. You'll find a woman, yea, and you'll find love; and don't forget son, there is someone up above!"**

The crowd's cheers rose and they had all by now risen to their feet paws.

"**And be a simple!..." **Balto sang strongly, the audience singing with him, "**Kid of man! You'll be something, you'll love and understand!" **he continued, **"Baby be a simple!... Kind of man! And won't you do this for me son, if you can." **Balto finished, Ash and the rest of the band breaking back into the main riff.

"**Get your lust," **Balto sang, the crowd now quieting slightly, "**of a rich man's gold. All that you need, is in your soul. And you can do this," **he continued, "**ifyou tried. All that I want for you my son, is to be satisfied..."**

Koko slammed down onto her drums, indicating the beginning of the second chorus.

"**And be a simple!" **Balto and everyone else in the room sang, "**kind of man! And be something, you'll love and understand! Baby be a simple!... Kind of man! And won't you do this, for me son, if you can.**

**Oh yes I will." **Balto said enthusiastically and Ash moved into a rocking guitar solo, Balto getting up next to him and pretending to play along side him.

The crowd went wild hearing the solo, and all danced with the beat.

After a good fifteen seconds or so, Ash's solo ended and the band began the main riff again, this time at a slightly faster tempo. Balto retook his position at the microphone.

"**Oh don't you worry," **Balto began again, whistles of approval coming from the audience, "**You'll find yourself. Follow your heart, and nothing else. And you can do this, oh babe, if you tried. All that I want for you my son, is to be satisfied!"**

"**And be a simple! Kind of man!" **the whole room sang together, "**Oh be something, you'll love and understand! Baby be a simple! Kind of man! And won't you do this, for me son, if you can," **the whole room continued, "**Baby** **be a simple! Real simple man. And be something, you'll love and understand! Baby be a simple! Kind of man! Oh won't you do this for me son, if you can," **Balto finished and Ash and the band moved into the main riff again.

The audience cheered on and on until the music finally stopped.

Balto smiled, breathing deeply, then began to step down from the stage, but was stopped by the audience demanding an encore. Balto's smile broadened and he retook his place at the microphone, nodding back to Ash. Telling him to switch his guitar out for an acoustic, Schick picking up a fiddle and Harv taking up a five string.

Balto nodded.

**What I Need To Do, by Kenny Cheseny starts to play.**

Ava began to play her piano in a slow beat, Koko and Harv softly playing with her. The audience whistled their approval and Balto stepped up to the microphone.

"**All roads lead somewhere," **he said easily, "**If you pay attention... many roads lead to love."**

Ash and Schick began to play their instruments in a slow country beat, another dog playing the steel guitar.

"**I keep tellin' myself, this is the right thing to do," **Balto began, the female population screamingwith delight,** "I was wastin her time, waitin on dreams that just weren't comin true. And this old highway, seems to understand," **Balto continued to sing slowly, more whistles sounding, "**leadin me** **on to somewhere where nobody knows my name**."

There were a few dogs who had chills running down their pines with the way Balto delivered that last line.

"**Well I got the window rolled down," **Balto began, moving close to the main chorus, "**I got the radio up. I'm doin all I can to keep my mind off us."**

The crowd started to cheer as they moved into the chorus.

"**But what I need to do," **Balto and Ash sang together, **"is turn this car around." **Balto continued alone now, "**drive as fast as I can until I see the lights of our home town, and run to her," **they both sang again, "**take her in my arms. Make her see how sorry I am, well that shouldn't be so hard,an sleep. but I drive on, and on, and on."**

As the band moved back into an interlude between verses, the crowd cheered, some of the older couples dancing slowly, pressed in close to each other.

"**Eighty seven more miles, gets me in to Baton Rouge," **Balto sang, moving into the second verse, "**there's a buddy of mine who says he might find some work that I can do."**

"**Maybe head up north, to Knoxville Tennessee, I know my baby sister has got a couch where I can sleep."**

Schick picked up on his fiddle as they moved into the pre-chorus.

"**And now the sun's goin down, on my broken heart. Lord I gotta get back, before I go too far."**

"**But what I need to do," **everyone in the room sang, "**is turn this car around. Drive as fast as I can till I see the lights of our home town, and run to her! Take her in my arms. Make her see how sorry I am, well that shouldn't be so hard, but I drive on, and on, and on."**

The music quieted down slightly.

"**But I drive on," **Ash sang.

"**Yes I drive on, and on, and on," **Balto sang.

"**Knowin what I need to do," **Ash sang.

"**I'm coming home to you," **the whole band sang.

"**But I drive on," **Ash sang again.

"**Knowin what I need to do," **Balto sang again.

"**I'm comin home to you," **the whole band finished, applause immediately flooding forward from the audience.

Balto smiled.

"Thank you," he said firmly, waving, "thank you."

Balto looked back at Ash, who smiled broadly back at him. Ash stepped up to Balto placing a paw on his shoulder.

"Come on Balto," Ash said shaking him slightly, "What do you say to one more song before we end the night," he asked enthusiastically, turning out to the audience.

The crowd erupted with cheers, obviously all for another song.

Balto's smile broadened

"I guess we could always do one more," he stated dubiously.

Ash stepped back and retook his electric guitar then pointed at Ava, signaling her to start on the keyboard.

**Livin' On A Prayer, by Bon Jovi begins.**

Ava played a slow, distorted sound on her keyboard, Harv entering in on his bass after a few seconds. Hearing and recognizing the bass line the crowd blew up, cheering and flooding to the foot of the stage. Harv played alone for a few seconds and then Koko came in, pounding her drums. Whenever she did so, Ash began to play, a voice box accompanying his guitar. As Ash began to play, the audience began to jump up and down together, most of them either clapping or pumping their paws up in the air.

Balto stepped up to the microphone with a smile.

"**Once upon a time, not so long ago..."**

"**Tommy's working down on the docks," **Balto sang strongly, **"union's been on strike, he's down on his luck it's tough," **Balto finished and Ash hit two long notes, **"mmmm so tough," **Balto sang.

"**Gina works the diner all day. Working for her man, she brings home her pay for love, mmmm for love..."**

Balto grabbed hold of the microphone stand and shot one of his paws up into the air.

"**She says we gotta hold on, to what we've got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other, and that's a lot"**

"**For love... We'll give it a shot!"**

"**Woah, we're half way there!" **Balto sang with a smile, "**Woah-oh! Livin on a prayer!" **Balto and Ash shouted, "**Take my hand, we'll make it I swear, woah-oh! Livin on a prayer!"**

The band kicked back into the main riff and the audience cheered their approval.

"**Tommy's got his six string in hock. Now he's holdin in, when he used to make it talk so tough," **here Ash hit a long 'tawee' "**mmm it's tough," **Ash picked a high note and finished out with a short series of quick notes.

"**Gina dreams of running away," **Balto continued, "**when she cries in the night Tommy whispers, baby it's okay! Some day..."**

"**We gotta hold on, to what we've got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other, and that's a lot"**

"**For love... WE'LL GIVE IT A SHOT!"**

"**Woah, we're half way there," **Balto sang, the entire room joining him, "**Woah-oh! Livin on a prayer! Take my hand, we'll make it I swear. Woah-oh! Livin on a prayer!"**

"**LIVIN ON A PRAYER!" **Balto yelled and traded placed with Ash as he moved into his guitar solo.

The audience was jumping up and down and pumping their paws to the beat as Ash continued on. As Ash was moving into the final part of the solo he jumped up into the air and kicked out his back paws. Balto retook his position at the microphone and sang the pre-chorus again."

"**We gotta hold on, ready or not. You live for the fight it it's ALL THAT YOU"VE GOT!"**

"**Woah, we're half way there. Woah-oh! Livin on a prayer! Take my hand and we'll make it I swear. Woah-oh! Livin on a prayer!"**

"**Woah, we're half way there," **Balto sang, Ash's chords becoming more powerful, "**Woah-oh! Livin on a prayer! Take my hand and we'll make it I swear..."**

Balto then fell silent and extended the mike out to the audience.

"**Woah-oh! Livin on a prayer!" **they all sang.

Balto smiled and dropped the microphone down to his side as Ash and the rest of the band finished up the song with the opening riff and a fast end wankery. Once the song was over and the lights flicked off on stage, the audience's cheers broke the sound barrier; but Balto felt too good for it to have hurt his ears. As he stood up on stage, gazing out upon the many faces beneath him, he knew, finally, that he was where he belonged.

* * *

><p><strong>Well I hope you enjoyed. <strong>

**Once again, all credit for the idea of the Nome tradition for a new citizen to sing and the way the dogs played their instruments goes to The Kool Cat, and I in no way will claim the rights to those ideas, I give them all to him.**

**Speaking of The Kool Cat, you guys should really check out his Balto stories, and if it's not too much trouble leave him a good review for his hard work.**

**I only take credit for the writing of this fic and the choice of songs.**

**Seriously, if y'all haven't ever heard those four songs I put in, please listen to em. They truly are awesome songs.**

**Balto belongs to Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment.**

**Simple Man belongs to Lynyrd Skynard, What I Need to Do belongs to Kenny Cheseny, Livin On A Prayer belongs to Bon Jovi, and The Feel Good Drag belongs to Anberlin. I do not claim the rights to these songs.**


End file.
